Attachment_C_-_Technical_Questions.docx

ATTACHMENT C: TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

Proposers are required to answer all of the questions listed in Attachment C in the format that is provided. Questions are listed in tan fields and answers should be typed in the white space below, please attach additional pages as necessary. Answer fully all questions in the following order.

1. Infrastructure Requirements General Questions Please provide estimated sizing and other application business requirements assumptions on which the following specifications will be based.

1) Provide an architecture diagram that identifies all software, hardware and networking components used in operation of the system including ballot design, ballot scanning, adjudication, tabulation, and results reporting. Include all 3rd party software components such as operating systems, databases, browsers, report writing tools, etc. If you are proposing an accessible voting solution, provide an architecture diagram identifying the solution set up and how it will communicate with the tabulation system. Label and attach the diagram as Attachment C-#1 to your proposal response.

2) Specify details of all software components utilized in the solution using the “Software Specifications Table” in Exhibit 1 Technical Specifications Form.

3) Provide detailed specifications for all equipment and software (i.e., scanner throughput in ballots per minute, number of output bins, tabulator memory capacity (number of ballots scanned).

4) Describe and provide technical specifications and minimum configuration requirements for all hardware components that make up the total of your proposed solution. Indicate the recommended number of each component type (e.g. database server, web server, scanning unit, workstations, network equipment items, etc.) based on the size of The County. Provide this information using the “Hardware Specifications Table” in Exhibit 1 Technical Specifications Form.

5) Describe any anticipated hardware upgrades. When do you anticipate the new hardware being certified for use?

6) What is the amount of sustained operational time the scanning equipment is capable of providing? Describe how this is delivered.

7) Please provide the network requirements for the tabulation room (type and count) and for the scan/adjudication room (type and count).

8) Please provide electrical requirements (quantity and quality) for the tabulation and scan/adjudication rooms.

9) The County’s scan room is 640 square feet in size. They have a separate tabulation room which is 320 square feet in size. Given the size can your solution be physically set up in that amount of space? What is the amount of space that your solution would require? What sort of configuration would you recommend?

High Availability and Disaster Recovery

1) The County requires the solution to be available 24 hours per Day, 7 Days per week. The maximum downtime in the event of a failure should be 20 minutes per event. Provide details about the server configuration that you recommend for achieving this standard.

2) Does the solution proposed allow local client caching, so in the event that the application is down, the users can continue to operate from the workstation with some (reduced) functionality while the service is restored? If so, explain how it works and the functionality that will remain available for the users while the system is down.

Printing Requirements

1) Provide a list of all the commercially available printing devices that your system is compatible with, for both portable and stationary ballot on demand printers. Is there any one in particular that you recommend for your system?

Mobile Devices

1) Provide a list of all the commercially available mobile devices, such as tablets, that your product supports along with the versions of the operating systems. Explain what modules your product supports using these devices and any limitations. Is your portal mobile friendly? Can it be fully accessed via these devices?

Unique Hardware and Software Requirements

2) Is there any specific hardware or software required or recommended for use with the proposed solution? Provide details on manufacturer, product description, and model number if appropriate, and the item’s purpose.

Security

1) Can your system ensure the security, accuracy and reliability of election data? If so, describe the process for doing so.

2) Does your system have a security scheme? If so, describe how the security solution addresses access control, including network access and physical access; data management and data access; environmental controls (power, air conditioning, etc.) and off-line storage; human resource security; and audit trails and usage records.

3) What type of business continuity and disaster recovery options are available? Is this part of the standard services?

4) Describe the application-level security model of the prosed solution (e.g., user setup, roles, groups, password rules, access logs, granularity of security, etc.).

5) Describe how the vendor’s services enforce IT security best practice of Separation of Duties: Functions shall be divided between staff members to reduce the threat that one person can commit fraud undetected.

6) Describe the vendor’s methodology for managing security patches, hotfixes and service packs for the vendor supplied applications. Specifically, how often are security patches released? How often are service packs released?

7) Does your organization have official Information Security and Information Privacy Policies? If yes, would your organization be willing to share these policies with our Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer?

a. If so, please attach.

b. If not, please describe the barriers to sharing such documents

c. How often are your policies reviewed?

8) Do you offer a hand-held accessible voting unit (tablet)? If yes, please describe the security incorporated into the AVU application/device.

9) Describe how The County’s data will be secure in the event the AVU is lost or stolen.

2: Software Requirements

1) List all the modules that your solution includes with a brief description of each. Include which are part of the base package and which are additional or optional modules. Indicate if any of these modules are being integrated from a third-party.

2) How long has the proposed product been on the market? Briefly explain the history of the product, including internal developments and mergers and acquisitions that have enriched your product.

3) Describe the communication among the database(s), application(s), client(s), and other system components, including security.

4) Describe how the solution can be configured or tailored at the agency level to meet the needs of The County, including:

a. Software components that can be County-configured (e.g., settings, code tables, business rules, workflows, screen layouts, field names, agency-definable data elements, document template, etc.);

b. Assistance provided by the vendor with initial configuration;

c. Process and support for on-going configuration needs; and

d. Ability to set up and test configurations in a test and staging system and then copy or propagate the new configuration information to the production system.

a) b) c) d)

5) Describe the on-line help capabilities of the solution.

6) How do you determine what fixes, enhancements, and new features to include in major upgrades and periodic updates? Do you have a formal process for requirements gathering? To what extent do you solicit input from existing customers? What other factors are considered? How frequent are these upgrades and updates?

3: Support, Maintenance, Upgrades Support

1) Attach a copy of your company’s standard Service Level Agreement (SLA). Label and attach the SLA as Attachment C-#4 to your proposal response. The SLA should address:

· How your company will provide support on Election Day/Night.

· Help desk response time guarantees.

· Technical support capability. How would your company provide this support to the counties?

· Familiarity of technical support staff/help desk agents with the proposed solution. For instance: skill sets, years of service with your company, technical expertise with the solution, etc.

2) Include a sample of any hardware and software warranty/maintenance contracts you propose. Label and attach the warranty as Attachment C-#5 to your proposal response.

3) Is onsite support provided on Election Day/Night? If so, is there an additional support cost for this service? Provide the cost (if extra) on the Pricing Sheet.

4) Is there a backup and recovery plan with your solution? If so, describe any options available with your solution.

5) Are third party pieces, e.g., laptops, software, operating systems scanners, network devices, etc., included in your company’s solution supported? If so, describe how this is done.

6) Describe your customer support process, including capabilities, procedures, roles and responsibilities, and facility/technical requirements (e.g., remote access to systems). Include a copy of your plan for transition from implementation to regular support.

7) What are your procedures for the reporting and resolution of various types of issues, e.g., bugs, change requests, enhancements, etc.?

8) Do you issue patches to fix individual bugs or are bug fixes rolled up into releases?

9) How are software and/or hardware upgrades performed? Describe and include the role the County staff would be required to play in the installation, testing and implementation of upgrades to the system.

10) Describe how you plan to roll out bug fixes and new capabilities given the stringent certification requirements for voting software.

11) Is The County expected to deliver any maintenance support of the solution? If so, describe.

12) Describe the organizational structure of your support team (e.g., tiers, involvement of development staff).

13) What are your standard support hours?

14) Do you restrict the types of users (e.g. managers or super users only, all users) who can reach you with technical support issues? What is your recommendation?

15) Is after-hours support available? What does it cover? Provide the cost (if extra) in the Pricing Sheet.

16) Describe in detail the support methods your company uses, including phone, email, website, remote connectivity, on-site, etc.

17) How do you communicate known issues to your customer base?

Maintenance and Upgrades

1) Describe the process for new releases of your solution and how you support it. What documentation do you provide? How much system downtime should we expect during upgrades? What internal technical support should we plan for?

2) When does your company plan to release the next major upgrades/enhancement versions and warranty/bug fixes?

3) Describe how the organization envisions its software and hardware solutions changing over the next five to ten years.

This Request for Proposal – Attachment will be provided in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, audiocassette or computer disk for individuals with disabilities upon request.